Chicago-Based Lovely Candy Company Donates Buddy Benches to Area Schools as Part of Their Mission to Help ‘Spread the Love-ly”

Published on May 16, 2018

Lovely Donation Aims to Cultivate Kindness and Inclusion Among Students

ALGONQUIN, Ill., May 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lovely Candy Company today donated six buddy benches to the local community to continue the nationwide initiative of generating acceptance and kindness among students. Over the past few years, thousands of benches have popped up at schools across the country to promote social inclusion and provide a place where kids can go when they are feeling lonely and need a friend. Lovely’s donation is just another example of how the Chicago-based company, known for its consciously crafted candies featuring only premium ingredients, is giving back to the surrounding community.

“We are proud to join the anti-bullying movement by donating these buddy benches which will help create a safe place for kids and support the existing efforts and conversations led by all of the hardworking and dedicated teachers at elementary schools across the country,” said Mike Nakamura, President of Lovely Candy Company. “As a company, we want to spread a message of happiness among our consumers, and this program is just another extension of our mission.”

The six buddy benches, constructed and sourced by Barco Products headquartered in Batavia, will be placed at various locations across Algonquin, where Lovely is located. Five will be donated to elementary schools within District 300 and the last one will be donated to a public park at the city center. In addition to helping foster friendships and reduce bullying, the benches are also a way to encourage kids to spread kindness in their own lives and make socially responsible decisions.

Students will be educated at the schools about the various uses for the buddy benches. If a child is sitting on the bench, students are encouraged to ask them to play or to start a conversation. The buddy bench is also a recognized place where students can go if they are feeling lonely or being bullied, which is a great tool for teachers to start a conversation or recognize students that may need help making friends.

“We are grateful for the generous donation by Lovely Candy Company to our city and schools,” said Village President John Schmitt. “The company is a valued business here within the city of Algonquin and we are confident that the addition of these benches will continue to foster the message of inclusion across our schools.”

In addition to donating the benches to the school playground, Lovely also provided each student at the five schools with a bracelet signifying their commitment to being kind. Schools also received flash drives for the teachers with tips from Stopbullying.gov on anti-bullying messages to start a conversation with students.

“Our teachers, staff and district are all dedicated to creating safe environments for all of our students,” said Fred Heid, Superintendent for District 300. “District 300 thanks the Lovely Candy Company for their generosity.”